Gramophone and like sound-reproducing instrument



LJOFEH. GRAMOPHONE AND LIKE SOUND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION HLED JAN. 5, 1922- Patented Aug. 29, 1922..

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. JOFEH.

GRAMOPHONE AND LIKE SOUND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

APPLKCAHON FILED JAN. 5, 1922.

1 ,427,2 1 1 a Patented Aug 29, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. J'OFEH.

GRAMOPHONE AND LIKE souwn REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, I922.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I. IOFEH.

GRAMOPHONE AND LIKE SOUND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, I922.

Patented Aug. 29,- 19221 5 $HEETSSHEET 4.

J. JOFEH.'

GRAMOPHONE AND LIKLSOUND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATlON FILED JAN; 5, I922.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

PATENT. cri ics;

restore Specification of Letters Patent. lpgm f d Amiga 9 19%2? Application filed lunuury it, rose. Serial its. causes.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that l, Jenn Jornn, a subject of the Kin of Great Britain, and rest dent of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Gromophones and like Sound-- Reproducing Instruments (for which I hove filed application for patent. in Great Brit= ain, Serial No. 23,032, dated August t, 1920)) of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to grarnophones and like sound reproducing instruroents and has for its object the provision of sound reproducing instrument. having an efiicient controlling apparatus of simple construction,

The invention further relates to multiple record machines providedwith ineans prel erably coin-controlled whereby any selected one of the records can be brought into use as desired.

n The invention consists broadly or a, grantophone or like sound reproducing instrument having a stylus supported above the record on counter-weighted pivoted tone arm, wherein the stylus is lifted from the record by means of the counter-weight end is lowered into operative engsgement with the record by means of a movable weight adapted to move into operative position by gravity, after it has been set in motion by mechanism under the control of the operetor, and to be arrested in" such positionby means of mechanism automatically released when the stylus arrives the end of the record, so the weight will move metrically out of operation 'llhe weight is preferably in form of a ball adapted to roll down it pivoted inclined operating chute or guideway lined on the pivoted tone arm or operatively con: nected thereto by linlr end lever mechanism,

This guide-way is arranged in such o manner that the ball will roll down from its delivery to its discharging end and is provided with e releasable stop arranged to arrest the ball at a position where its weight will depress the chute sufiiciently to lower the stylus into operotive engagement with p the record.

In applying the invention to multiple record apparatus a series of grarnophones may be arranged one above the other, and, each provided with an operating chute adopted to receive e ball from a casing containing a vertical column of them and provided time on to the operating chute or guide in Figs, Zonal 8 is pivotedc-n with means for delivering them one at o Mechanism is also provided for bringing the operating chute of soy selected gramme phone nto ball receiving position in the ball casing. Coin freed mechonisin ma be provided for delivering the balls on to the pro-selected operating chute Various embodiments of the invention are illustrsted diagrammatically b the panying drawings, wherein rigure l perspective view of a portion or torso the spparatus wherein the operetive p of the ball guide ay is lined on the arm. This view else shows sein -controlled ball delivery mechanism. Figures l l illustrate a releasable bell stop, Figure l o detail of the record bralre niechenisrn' Figure l a plan or the record sclectin: mechanism; a P Figure 2 is a sectional view of s modified rorni of the apporatus designed for multiple records, the ball guide way being pivoted shove the tone arms end connected thereto by link and lever mechanism. Figures 8 4; and 5 are views of details of the apparatus wayd shown in Figure 2. Figures 6 end 7 are plans of the selecting and record mechanisni respectively end Figure 8 it further modification of the apparatus 1 in these drawings 1 is the pivoted tone arm, 2 the horizontal pivot thereof, 3 stylus or needle and t r the sound records The operating wei hts in the forth of balls 6-6; These ha is are delivered on the upper end ct on inclined pivoted guide way which is indicated at 7 in Fig. 1, end l the 6 Figures 2 aiul 3. 9 is the removable bell arresting stop.

the embodiment ofthe invention illus-i trated in Figure l, the stylus 3 is mounted on a sound bon'll) secured to tone arrn l the usuol manner is held normally out of contact with the record by means oi a counter weight ll adjustably a 12 secured to the tone arm 1. The balls are adapted to roll down a guide way 7 fined on the'tone orni 1. This guide-way is the p llll and is provided with a spring 221 arranged to hold the ball retaining point of the 'stop 9 in the path of the ball in the operating chute or guide way 7.

A portlonof the releasable stop 9 extends beyond its pivot 220 and is adapted when the tone arm has moved across the record to come into contact with a fixed adjustable rod 222 arranged to lift the stop and allow the ball to run down the guide way and ofl its discharge end 13, and so allow the counter weight 11 to lift the stylus from the record to its normal position. Any other suitable pivoted or sliding mechanism may be provided for effecting this movement of the stop 9.

The ball discharged from the end 13 of the guide way 7 is delivered on to a pivoted guide way 14 provided with a counter weight 15 arranged to hold the guide way normally in its uppermost position. This guide way 14 is pivoted at 16 and connected by an arm 17 and flexible connecting member 18 to a pin 19 secured to the tone arm 1. The arm 17 and flexible member 18 are so arranged that the weight of a ball on the guide way 14 will turn it about its pivot and pull the tone arm about its vertical pivot 20 so as to move the tone arm across the record to start ing point, the ball then rolls OK the guide way 14 into chutes 230 which deliver it into a ball casing 121 down which it drops and then passes on to a pivoted plunger 120 arranged in the lower end of the tubular casing 21 in which is supported by a pivoted nonreturn by pass stop 29, a vertical column of balls 6-6.

The ball casing 121 is divided by a partition 22 over the top of which the balls are pushed one at a time when the plunger 120 is raised. The raising of this plunger may be effected by any suitable hand operated mechanism such as that shown, wherein a coin 24 introduced through a suitably arranged coin slot falls into one of the recesses 23 formed in the periphery of a drum 25 adapted to be rotated by a handle 26. It will be readily understood that when the handle 26 is turned in the clockwise direction with a coin in position as shown, the coin 24 will engage the end 27 of the pivoted lever 28 and so raise the ball lifting plunger 120 formed on itsouter end. This movement is designed to be sufiicient to push the uppermost ball in the column over the partition 22 so that it will drop on to a projection 30 extending from a ball chute 31 arranged to deliver the ball on the upper end of the guideway 7 secured to the tone arm 1 In order that the apparatus may be a plied to a number of gramophones, t e gramophones are mounted on a vertical shaft '35, adapted to be driven by the motor, and

the apparatus is provided with means of bringing into operation any selected one of them, such as indicated at Figure 1 and Figure 1' wherein the vertical shaft 32 has mounted thereon a number of ball chutes 31, 31 each arranged to discharge the ball arrested by its projection 30, on to the top of the operating chute or guide way 7 of the gramophone containing the particular record selected, the gramophones being arranged at different heights, and the chutes 31, 31 at angles to one another on the shaft 32 so that the projection 30 of the one selected can be moved through a horizontal slot 210 pro vided in the casing 21 into a position as indicated by the lower gramophone, where it will arrest the ball pushed over the partition 22. The shaft 32 is provided with any suitable means for operating it from the outside of the apparatus and with indicating mechanism such as a pointer 211 Figure 1' adapted to move over a graduated circle 212 having markings corresponding to the records available for use.

The records may be driven by a motor in the usual manner, and the startin and stopping thereof effected by any suita le mechanism adapted to be actuated by the operating mechanism of the apparatus, such as the brake 96 which is normally held in engagement by a spring 213 with the lower disc or disc carrier 4, and is adapted to be lifted therefrom by the lever and rod 214 when either of the collars 215 fixed on the rod 214 are lifted by the corresponding rod 216 fixed to the tone arm and tilted thereby when the stylus is lowered into operative position.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by Figures 2 to 7 the record carrying tables 40-40 are mounted on a common vertical shaft 35 driven from a motor 36. Each record is provided with a stylus 3 and sound box 10 mounted on a tone arm 1. Each tone arm 1 is pivoted to an extension thereof 41 by horizontal pivots at 2*, and all the tone arm extensions 41 open into a common sound conduit 42 to which they are pivoted by ver- 110 tical pivots 20. Only the tone arm 1 of the lowest gramophone is shown the, others which are identical with it in every respect are indicated by their centre lines 1", 1". The

sound conduit 42 terminates in the horn or am lifier 43.

s in the previous example the stylus of each gramophone is held normall above the record by a counterweight 11 n this case however, the counter-weight is formed on a vertical rod 44 jointed to one end of a lever 45 Figure 3, pivoted at 46 to the conduit 42,

the other end of the lever 45.being connectinseam pull the flexible member t? endiso no the" stylus from the record into. its normal position. I a

The ball guide-way 7 which is provided with an adjustable balance weight 119 is not secured to e tone arm as in the previous on emple, butpi'voted on'a shaft 8, and motion is communicated to the rod 4:4 to lift the same and thereby lower the stylus on to the record, by the guide-way 7 while it is heinoi le-way F. It will thus be seen that the -way 7 when moved downwards by the .rht of a ball engages and'presses downc s the rod which in its turn by tilting oivot frame 58 rai es the projection 52 l lever 51 resting thereon and so the is li ted and stylus lowered on to When the tone arm hes moved the stylus across t e record it operates by a rod 55 therefrom a cranked shaft 58 Figures '3 and 7, which by means of a member 57 Figures 3 and 4: arged at its end causes the ball arresting stop 8 to drop out of the path of the ball allows the ball to run down to a releasable stop 106 Figures 2 end 8 in the guide-way 58 lending to the lower end of ball column casing 21 The tone arm which in playing the record is moved against the tension of a spring 206 is returned to starting position by said spring 200 when it is raised from the record by the weight 11. will be understoodfroni the above that the raising of the tone arm from the record is effected after the ball stop 9* has been moved out of operation by the action of the tone arm rod 55 on the cranked shaft 58 which moves the arm 57 away from the pin 2 30 Figure 1, extending from the stop carrying plate .241 which is secured to the pivoted lever 86. It will also be understood that the chute 7* will be carried down by e, ball until it is arrested by the pivoted stop plate 241 and that when the stop 9 is withdrawn the ball passes through an opening in the side of the chute through an opening in a guide plate 242 Figure 3 into the vertical tube 243 down whichvit drops on to the stop 8Q in the chute 58.

@n the shaft 8 and between the two arms of the sliding-lever frame 53 are ivoted a number of levers 51 as shown in igures 2 od 54 which extends under the pivoted and 6, one for the lowering rod it of each record, one only of these levers 51 being shown in Figure 3 for clearness; and the sliding frame is adapted to be moved along the shaft to bring the projection 52 under the lever 51 correspondingto the selected record. The mechanism for sliding the frame, consists of a lever 59 pivoted at 60 and fork-shaped at its free end to e age one of the arms of the frame 53. The ever 59 is moved about its pivot by a rod 61 linked et one end to the lever and at the other to one end of an arm 62, the other end of the arm 62 being connected to a shaft to; This shaft is rotated in its bearings the desired amount by means of a quadrnnt 6d secured thereon and adapted to be operated by a friction roller 65 mounted on the end of a shaft doadapted to be rotated by hand by means of a knob 6? secured on a portion of the shaft to extending through the easing 88 of the epparatusn (in the shaft 83 is also mounted a pointer arro otlndepted to move over a scale indicated by numerals '70. It will be readily understood by rotating the knob 6? until the pointer erin 89 is opposite the number selected, the friction roller 65 will move the sliding frame 53 into the position to opera e the stylus lowering mechanism of the selected record. The friction roller 85 is held in contact with the quadrant list by a spring 71.

In order to hold the quedrant in the selected position it is provided on its under side with a series of projectionsm, between means of operative Hill which the end of a retaining lever '38 is edapted to be moved by anarni 8i ing from the shaft 7 1- and connected by a {Flexible connection 82, see Fig. 3, to e pivoted lever 83 of which the end extends into the upper portion of the ball guide-way so that will be operated before the ball is arrested by the stop 8 The operetionofthe lever 88 also by menus of on arm 8% connected thereto, rod 85, shin 86 connected to the pivot shaft 8? of the etc 8, moves this stop into ball retaining position. The lever 73 3, is mounted on the-shaft i l on which is else fixed an arm 75 cerryino its outer end a retaining pin '76; Thispin rests in e notch in the top of an arm??? provided with a spring 150'and secured to a shaft 78' falls on to the projection 80 and tilts thelever 79 and thereby moves the arm 7? its llll

against the action of its sprin 150 and away from the retaining pin 6 and so allows of the removal of the quadrant retaining lever 73 from between the projection 72 thereby placing the quadrant 1n a position ready to be operated in the selection of another record.

In order to provide means for repeating a record, an automatic releasable shutter 90 Figure 5 is provided to arrest a selected number of balls according to the desired number of repetitions, fed into the ball guideway. This shutter holds the remaining number of the selected balls in the fixed portion 129 of the ide-way after the first of them has passe under the shutter 90 which is arranged on the pivoted portion 7 of the chute in such a manner that when a ball runs down towards the pivoted portion of the uide-way 7 the shutter closes over it by t e ball pressing against a bell crank extension 91, of the shutter and thereby revents the next of the selected balls fol owing. The shutter 90 is pro vided with an arm 92 which is held by a pawl 93 to keep the shutter in the closed position. After the ball is released by the stop 9 the pivoted chute 7 returns to its normal position and engages a fixed stop arranged to release the pawl 93 and allow the shutter to open to recelve the next of the selected balls.

The lever mechanism 83 Fig. 2, operated by the ball when forced by the plunger 120 from the tube 21 into the chute 129 before passing down the upper portion of the chute is also adapted by means of lever and link mechanism 94, 95 to release a brake 96 adapted to prevent rotation of the record by the motor.

The apparatus is preferably provided with adjustable stop mechanism indicated at 97 Figures 2 and 7 for limiting the movement of'the tone arms when returning to starting position.

The balls are preferably transferred from the lower end of the chute to its upper end by a vertical tube 21 up which they are forced by any suitable means, such as a plunger 120 and they may be released for operation in the chute by any suitable coin freed or other mechanism such for example as described with reference to Fig. 1. y

In operating the apparatus illustrated in Figure 2, the knob 67 is rotated to bring the polnter arm 69 into the position corresponding to the selected record as described above, and after the insertion of a coin in the chute 100 the handle 101 is rotated, this handle is secured on the end of a shaft 102 on the end of which is fixed a crank 103-, this crank operates a link 104 which is attached to the end of a ivoted lever 105.v The lever 105 lifts the p unger 120 and thereby forces the last ball discharged from the guide-way 58 into maven the ball casing 21 upwards and thereby delivers the uppermost ball from the top of the easing into the upper portion 7 of the guide-way.

In order to prevent the ball rolling down the chute 58 into the casing 21 before a coin has been inserted in the chute 100a pivoted 'ball retainin stop 106 Figures 2 and 6, is provided. T is stop is movedinto retaining -position by a rojection 111 on the lever 107 when the sai projection is engaged by the lever 81 during the movement of this lever as described above.

The stop 106 is arranged to be moved out of the path of the ball by means of a bell crank or like lever 107, 108, of which the arm 108 is linked at its end to a pivoted lever 109 having-an end portion extending into the coin chute in such a manner that the weight of the coin operates to liberate the ball held by the catch 106 and so allows it to run down into the casing 21 on the top of the plunger 120. The column of balls are held in the casing 21 by means of a by-pass 29 as described with reference to Figure 1.

The coin-chute 100 is preferably provided with an obturator 110 adapted to be moved into the coin-chute during the operation of the lever 81 described above, so that should a second coin be inserted before the appathe operation due to the first coin is comdrawn by the selecting mechanism operated a by the knob 67. The raising of the lever 51 lifts the weight 11 and rod 44 which by tilting the lever 45 about its pivot 46 allows the pivoted portion 1 of the tone arm connected to the lever by the flexible cord 47 to lower the stylus 3 into contact with the record 4. Any suitable source of electric power 212 is placed in the circuit 213 of the electro magnet 210, the said circuit being divided by,

contacts 214 and 215, the latter being a fixed contact and the former a movable one fixed on a lever 216 pivoted at 217 and provided at one end with an adjustable balance weight 218 and at the other with a trough adapted to receive a coin 219 to which it has been delivered by means of the coin chute 100. The coin 219 delivered into the trough of the lever 216 lowers the same by its weight and then rolls down into contact with the stop 9 at the same time bringing the contacts 214 and 215 into engagement and thereby enerq ters Patent is l, A sound reproducing instrument havi t ere n.

izing the electro magnet 210 which operates 51c mechanismtolower the st lus on to the record as described above. W en the stylus arrives at the end of the records the a, 55

"carried by the tone arm 41 moves'into engagement. with the cranked rod 56 and so moves the stop 9 out of the path of the coin 219 which then drops through the chute 220 into a coin till or receptacle. The tron in end of lever 216 being freed from the weig t of the coin is raised by the counter weight 218 and so separates the contactsfllt and 215thereby ole-energizing the magnet 210, thisenables the counter weight 119 to raise the lever 211 and consequently the weight 11 to raise the stylus 3 from the record 4.

The selecting mechanism is similar to that described above, the catch mechanism for the arm 75 being dispensed with and the said arm connected by a rod or flexible en tension 221 to an extension of the lever 211 so that when this lever is down it raises the of the arm 73 between the projection 72 of the selecting quadrant 64% and so holds same in position until the magnet 210 is ole-energized as described above. The arm 81 on the pivoted rod M is connected by a or flexible extension 223 to the lever oi brake as so that the record stopping brake will be removed from the record t immediately after the energizing of the magnet 210 by the weight of a coin in the trough of lever 216.

W hat l claim and desire to secure by Leta sound box and a stylus supported above the recordv on a counter-weighted J ivoted tone arm, wherein the stylus is litted from the r cord by means of the counter weight, and means are provided for lowering stylus into operative engagement with the record alter the record has been set in motion by mechanism under the control of the operator, means being also provided for automatically stopping the record when the sound box arrives at a predetermined position and for raising the stylus therefrom.

92. A. sound reproducing instrument ha ing means for lowering the stylus on to its records comprising a ball adapted to roll down a pivoted inclined guide-way fixed on the pivoted tone arm, the guide-way being arranged in such a manner that the ball can roll down it from the delivery to the discharging end, and provided with a stop arranged to arrest the ball at a position where its weight will lower the stylus into operative engagement with the record, mechanism being provided for releasing the stop when the sound box arrives at a predetermined position.

3. A sound reproducing instrument comprising a number of gramophones each having a record mounted on a coon motor dr1ven shaft, means for holding the stylus normally out of contact with the record, a brake normally in engagement with the record driving shaft, means for. selecting any particular record and releasing the brake and means for lowering the stylus on to the record, comprising a ball and a pivoted inclined guide-we down which it is adapted to roll, the pivotedguide way being connected tothe tone arm by link and lever mechanism, the guide-way being provided with a, stop arranged to arrest the ball at a position where its weight will lower the stylus into operative engagement with the record, and mechanism for. releasing the stop when the sound box arrives at a predetermined position, and means for raising the stylus from the record at the end of the sound reproduction.

ii. A sound reproducing instrument comprising a number of gramophones each having a record mounted on a common motor driven shaft, means for holding the stylus normally out of contact with the record, a brake normally engagement with the record driving shalt, means for selecting any particular record and releasing the bralre, and means for lowering the stylus on to the record comprising a ball adapted to roll down an inclined pivoted guideway divided into two portions inclined to each other in plan and means for removing the styles from the record at the end of the sound reproduction.

5. A sound reproducing instrument having means for lowering the stylus on to the records, comprising a ball adapted to roll down an inclined pivoted guide-way divided into two portions inclined to each other in plan, the releasable ball stop being arranged in a curved portion of the guide-way connecting the two portions thereof 6. A. sound reproducing instrument comprising a number of graniophones each having a record mounted on a common motor driven shalt, means for holding the stylus normally out of contact with the record, a brake normally in engagement with the record driving shaft, means for selecting any particular record and releasing the brake, and a movable weight and means for bringing said weight into position to lower the stylus or the selected record intocontact with the record and for removing the weight when the sound box reaches a predetermined position.

7. A sound reproducing instrument having astylus supported above the record on a counter-weighted pivoted tone arm, wherein the stylus is lifted from the record by means of the counter-weight, the instrument being also provided with a movable weight and with means for bringing said weight into position to lower the stylus of the selected record into operative engagement with the record after the record has been set in motion by mechanism under the control of the operator, means being also provided for automatically stopping the record when the sound box arrivesv at a predetermined position and for removing the weight from stylus-lowering position.

8. A multiple. unit gramophone provided with means for feedin one'of a series of balls on to anyone 0 a series of chutes mounted on a vertical shaft at difierent angles and each provided with an extension adapted to be moved in a horizontal slot in a tubular casing down which a ball is de-' livered by hand 0 erated coin controlled mechanism, each 0 ute being adapted to deliver a'ball to a particular gramophone,

the said vertical shaft being provided with means for rotating it from the outside (it the apparatus so that it can be moved into the position necessary 'to bring a selected record into operation.

9. A sound reproducing instrument comprising a number of gramophones each havin a disc record mounted one above the ot or on a vertical motor driven shaft each tone arm being divided into two portions one carrying the sound box and stylus and pivoted horizontally to the other portion which is vertically pivoted at its end over an opening leading to a common sound conduit provided at its extremity with a sound horn means for holding the stylus normally out of contact with the record, a brake normall in engagement with the record driving s aft, means for selecting any particular record and releasing the brake andmeans for lowering the stylus of the selected record into contact with the record and for removing it therefrom when the sound box reaches a predetermined position:

10 ./A sound reproducing instrument comprlslng a number of gramophones each hav- 111 a record mounted on a common motor drlven shaft, means for holding the stylus normally out of contact with the record, a brake normally in engagement with the record driving shaft, means for selecting any particular record and releasing the brake. and means for lowering the stylus on to the record comprising a ball and a pivoted inclined guide-way down which it is adapted to roll, the pivoted guide-way being connected to the tone arm by link and lever mechanism, the guide-way being provided with a stop arranged to arrest the ball at a position where its weight will lower the stylus into operative engagement with the record, and mechanism for releasing the stop when the stylus arrives at the end of the record, and means for raising the stylus from the record at the end of the sound reproduction each tone arm being provided with a projection adapted to operate the ball releasing mechanism when the sound box reaches a predetermined position.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN JOFEH. 

